INTERVIEW | ‘I will be very disingenuous if I hold an event like media industry does’ | Journalist Vinod K Jose
MANANTHAVADY : Journalist extraordinaire Vinod K Jose found himself in a unique role two years ago. A new vocation as a literary festival director. The Wayanad Literature Festival is his brainchild. And as the festival reaches its second edition, he is busier than ever, organising every minute detail.
There’s nothing his hands, that once held pen, hasn’t reached — be it anchoring a few literary sessions or making sure guests arrive comfortably in time. On the sidelines of the fest, TNIE caught up with Vinod for a quick chat.
Excerpts:
How did the idea of a literary fest came to you, that too holding it in Wayanad?
When I moved back here two years ago, a friend, who is a panchayat member here, asked me whether I can publish a book with poems by a few local poets. I knew some of them personally.
There was a carpenter’s wife who used to be part of the MNREGA scheme, and a few farmers as well. And I knew all of them. But then I thought, yes we can publish the book. But why don’t we all get them here together and tell stories, read poetry, and have conversations.
The idea just grew on its own, and when I asked a few writers I knew, whether they will come to Wayanad and spend a couple of days, they all agreed.
The idea was to have a two or three-hour events without any fuss. However, people started requesting particular writers who they never had a chance to meet beyond the pages. And the list grew in size, and the event became a four-day festival. I thought if 200 people join, it will be a success. But, around 15,000 people came for the first WLF.
This year, it is even bigger...
Yes. By the time this festival concludes on Sunday, I think, we would have brought 75,000 to 1 lakh people to this village in Mananthavady.
This time, events are spread across 10 different stages, and it’s not just a literary fest. There is an international academic conference, an all-India arts and crafts fare, a farmers’ market, a food court, chess tournament, children’s arena.
The idea is that in a family, everyone will not be interested in literature, and there should be something on the ground that every one of them is excited about, be it literature, movies, art, or food
This is a different festival all together?
Yes, generally, in many festivals, writers fly down from Mumbai or Delhi and take it over. There’s no local engagement. I wanted this to be an exercise where you build bridges, be it through a campfire reading, a heritage walk. I think the writers are going away far richer. Seeing the character of the ground, meeting people who are generally unnoticed.
These events in cities might look “professional” but there is an old-fashioned way how things organised, and that fostered many formative values in the country -- whether it’s equality, freedom, social justice.
The fest is also platforming new and local writers. Was that a conscious decision?
Yes. In fact, a large part of the contingent are writers from Wayanad, over 50 or 60. The idea was to make writers of Wayanad also feel respected and loved, even if they are new, just one book in.
The fest is also very political. Sukhdev Singh Kokri, who led the farmers’ protest, and more political figures are here.
People are political. If this is anything, it is more close to how people are. I haven’t seen a person who is not political anywhere. But it’s the way we hold events that are de-politicised. But by the very definition, social events are political. I will be very disingenuous if I were to organise something the way media industry does.